DDRRAAFFTT Allen County/Fort Wayne Comprehensive Land Use & Development Plan January 2007 Table of Contents Executive Summary Guiding Principles Chapter 1: Land Use Chapter 2: Economic Development Chapter 3: Housing and Neighborhoods Chapter 4: Transportation Chapter 5: Environmental Stewardship Chapter 6: Community Identity and Appearance Chapter 7: Community Facilities Chapter 8: Utilities Chapter 9: Grabill, Huntertown, Monroeville, and Woodburn Chapter 10: Implementation January 2007 Draft Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir people’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that your children and grandchildren are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty.” Daniel H. Burnham, 1910 Architect, City Planner and Author: The Plan of Chicago Introduction Plan-it Allen! is our citizen-powered initiative to develop a new Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plan for Allen County and the City of Fort Wayne – the first-ever, joint effort in our community’s history. This once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future culminates in 2007. The Comprehensive Plan serves as the official policy document for addressing issues relating to growth and development in Allen County, its cities, towns and communities; and the City of Fort Wayne. The Plan provides a framework for future decision making grounded in extensive community involvement and a solid analysis of major changes to the area’s natural, man-made and cultural environments, as well as the demographics of the area. Comprehensive Plan Mandate and Description To better understand what a Comprehensive Plan is and why Allen County and the City of Fort Wayne undertook this effort, the formal mandate and description for it are presented: • A Comprehensive Plan is a land use and development plan. It lays out the “vision” for the future growth and development of the community, what the community will be like and look like in the future. It then serves as a guide for community decision making, and provides policy and program direction to help realize the community’s vision. • A Comprehensive Plan is a document, or series of documents, prepared under the leadership of a Plan Commission or Plan Commissions, with input from citizens and community leaders. The Plan sets forth policies for the future development of the entire community. It is based upon inventory, analysis and evaluation of issues such as land use, population, economy, community facilities, housing, natural resources, utilities and transportation. • Indiana State law says that the primary goal of a Comprehensive Plan is the “promotion of public health, safety, morals, convenience, order, or the general welfare, and for the sake of efficiency and economy in the process of development,” – Indiana Code 36-7-4-501. • In Indiana, a Comprehensive Plan is required to include three elements: 1) A statement of objectives for future development; 2) Statement(s) of policy for land use development; and 3) Statement(s) of policy for the development of public ways, public places, public lands, public structures and public utilities. • A typical Comprehensive Plan attempts to forecast community needs, define a 20-year community vision and establish policies to achieve our goals. It is not a plan for government consolidation, a program plan, a financial plan or a business plan. It should be reviewed and updated every five years. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ January 2007 Draft Executive Summary 1 The Contents of the Plan Plan-it Allen! is organized into 10 chapters. Each chapter reflects one of the Plan elements or subject areas: Land Use; Economic Development; Housing and Neighborhoods; Transportation; Environmental Stewardship; Community Identity and Appearance; Community Facilities; Utilities; Grabill, Huntertown, Monroeville and Woodburn; and Implementation. The individual chapters outline topic-related recommendations, and each is organized into the following sections: Policy Foundation of the Plan, Key Findings, Goal, and Objectives and Strategies. A Plan Shaped by Community Involvement Throughout every step of the process, Plan-it Allen! has been shaped by the people of Allen County, its cities, towns and communities; and Fort Wayne. In hundreds of community meetings, open houses, workshops, speaking engagements, focus groups and surveys; through the Web site, personal conversations and media coverage; the ideas and insight of the public – you – have been continually gathered and incorporated into this Plan. Plan-it Allen! has been the culmination of a three-year planning process that included the participation, collaboration and consensus of Allen County, the City of Fort Wayne, local city and town government officials, boards and commissions, and citizens throughout the community. The process itself has been directed by the 16-member community steering committee known as the Comprehensive Plan Committee. Its members were selected specifically to be representative of Allen County’s and Fort Wayne’s many unique constituencies and diversity of voices. Four series of public meetings, nearly 60 in total, have been held countywide over the course of the process to engage residents and to ensure opportunities for full involvement. These meetings generated thousands of comments, ideas and suggestions that, in turn, became the basis for the Plan. Amplifying participation opportunities, a 150-member Vision Work Group was called together for several sessions to help craft the Plan’s vision and goals. To build the Plan’s baseline of in-depth research and statistical analysis, 10 panels of community experts, the Element Work Groups, worked to add specialized knowledge to each of the Plan’s chapters both in the existing conditions phase and throughout the writing of the Plan. Upon completion of the draft Plan, nearly 40 meetings with key stakeholder groups took place to refine and align the content. Throughout the process, the Plan-it Allen! Web site and Speakers’ Bureau also have been continually available to make the project accessible to the public at all times. The Web site will remain a key informational tool moving ahead: www.PlanYourCommunity.org. Why Allen County and Fort Wayne Need a New Plan Now Allen County’s current Plan is nearly 30 years old and the City of Fort Wayne’s Plan is well over 20 years old. It is time. Our community has changed dramatically. Our lives are interconnected and interdependent. By working together, we can build a healthy, livable and competitive community as a whole, in all its parts and for all our citizens. The Purpose of Plan-it Allen! Plan-it Allen! defines a new vision and an inclusive roadmap for our community’s future growth and development. It will give us an up-to-date policy guide for encouraging high-quality development and for preparing our community for the changes the future will bring. Equally significant, as we change, the Plan will help us preserve our distinct and diverse community character – all the things that make our cities, towns, suburbs and rural areas unique and desirable places to live, work and raise our families. The Plan will be a fundamental tool to realizing our dreams. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 Executive Summary January 2007 Draft What This Plan Means to Us Plan-it Allen! is about building community one unique and lasting neighborhood at a time. The Plan’s purpose is to lay out a path to sustainability, to preserve and enhance our quality of life and natural environment, and to position Allen County and Fort Wayne as regionally strong and competitive in the global economy. For the first time in our community’s proud history, the public and private sectors will be working off the same page – a common Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plan. The Plan’s shared vision and policy framework will establish a unified approach to infrastructure expansion, economic development and neighborhood enhancement efforts. It won’t alter the character or integrity of our small towns, rural countryside or urban neighborhoods, but it will reduce jurisdictional differences in planning and development that cost time and money. It will also send a message to the world around us: this is a community that is ready to grow in a way that builds on our strengths and our most appealing attributes. The Plan’s benefits are many: • A clear community vision created through community consensus, one that captures the values, goals and objectives of the community. • An up-to-date policy guide for encouraging quality physical and economic development. • A competitive community prepared for the changes the future will bring. • Preservation of our community character. • An enhanced quality of life. • Efficient, coordinated use of public resources. • Advancement of actions that will be in the long-term best interests of the community. • Application of innovative planning, development and growth concepts. The Impact of the Plan As a taxpayer, the cohesive vision and coordinated goals of the Plan will mean more cost-effective, responsive community decision making. As a homeowner, the Plan’s Conceptual Development Map will promote informed choice for homebuyers and protect lifestyle options. For project developers, the Plan will foster efficient project management and growth that is desirable for the community long term. For businesses, the Plan will cultivate an environment in which businesses and good jobs can grow and thrive. For every resident, the Plan’s thoughtful stewardship of the land will enhance our quality of life, preserve and protect our natural resources, and strengthen our physical surroundings. How the Plan Is Different Plan-it Allen! has been a pioneering venture for Allen County and Fort Wayne. It is not a one- size-fits-all initiative. It is a first in our collective history.